Opening Game
by twiknham
Summary: The story of the crew of the Silverna before we meet them.
1. Ruy Lopez

**Disclaimer:** Twiknham doesn't own any rights to Last Exile. Those belong to Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. I earn not a single penny, Yen, or Renminbi off of this.

**Chapter 1: Ruy Lopez**

Small hands gently caressed his face. He could feel the tips of her fingers as they trailed from the corner of his eye to the corner of his lip. They stopped for just a second, and he swore he could feel her breath ghost over his mouth, before the fingers tremblingly traced the thin line of his upper lip. He wanted to take his teeth and nip at the tip of one of those fingers, but he was afraid that if he did, the dream would end. Sinking back into bliss as the fingers traced back across his lower lip, he sighed her name…"Yuris."

An instant later, he was abruptly brought out of his dream by the sound of a book falling to the floor. Jerking forward from his sprawl against the back of his chair, he narrowed sleepy eyes at the intruder. "Forrester."

Sophia Forrester stood in her regulation uniform, hands tucked tightly behind her back. "Sir." Her military stance not lessening as the ship listed slightly to starboard. Alex casually noticed how her hips shifted to compensate for her weight as the angle of their listing continued to grow. However, he did nothing except glare at her until a slight blush tinted her cheeks.

"It's a good thing you're not the Empress." She blinked. "If my glare can cause you to blush, I'd hate to see you under the gaze of some of the lechers in that court."

Her voice quietly answered. "It's a good thing then." She continued to stand unfazed as the ship continued to list.

"Is the crew trying to discover if the Silverna will fly upside down, or is there a problem?" He shifted a foot on the floor to prevent his body from sliding in his chair.

"Ressius had a problem in the Claudia room and he took the level calibration unit offline." Although her face didn't change, he could see the beginnings of a smile in her eyes. "The ship has been wallowing for the last hour, first to port then to starboard. This is the forth of fifth trip back to starboard." As the angle started decreasing, she continued. "I believe that Ressius might have the unit back online. That wasn't nearly as steep as the previous list."

Alex closed his eyes. Being a rogue commander of a rogue ship meant that he allowed certain 'liberties' to occur on his ship. However, there were times he almost wished he was a stickler for regulation. He leaned forward as the ship continued towards level. "Are you telling me I've slept through this for the last hour?"

"Mmm." Sophia turned towards the door. "Makes one wonder what kind of dreams you were having." Without looking back, she turned the handle. "Please forgive my intrusion. I woke you to inform you that the Urbanis is approaching and Captain Alzey has requested a meeting."

The door closed behind her quietly and Alex wondered yet again why he let such a strong-willed vixen continue to run his ship.

By the time Alex Rowe arrived in the helm, the listing was down to less than five degrees. He decided that the next time he met Ressius over a chessboard, they would discuss this breach of etiquette. As he stepped onto the bridge, he saw the grinning face of the one man who always seemed to show up when he was feeling most undignified.

"Hello Alex, how long has it been?" The gravely voice of Vincent Alzey broke the tense calm at the helm. Vincent walked forward holding out a hand in greeting.

"Not long enough." He sat down in his chair, ignoring Vincent's offered shake.

Suddenly the tall man with unkept brown hair leaned forward. "Awe, come on. It was just a few years ago I was trying to sink your ass on the training field."

"Trying being the primary word." Alex raised one eyebrow and inwardly smirked as Vincent scowled. "What brings you to my world?"

Vincent looked around at the officers on the bridge. "Can we talk somewhere more private?" Suddenly he chuckled and reached down to retrieve a case. "I'll brew some coffee, it's only Artic Black. The good stuff is still on order."

"I'm only interested if it's Irish." Alex stood and led the way, leaving the bridge to his Commanding Officer. When they reached his cabin, he walked over to the couch area and waited for Vincent to join him.

Vincent tripped over a book in the floor and leaned over to pick it up. "Shakespeare's Collective Sonnets." He looked at Alex. "Are we waxing lyrical now?"

"I've taken an interest in poetry. It fell off of the table when we listed to starboard that last time."

The other Commander laughed, the sound bouncing melodiously off the walls of the cabin and making Alex wish he'd shot the man years agp. "What was that about? It was like watching a drunken sailor try to weave his way home from a brothel."

"Routine maintenance on the level calibration unit. Occasionally these items must be taken offline and repaired."

"Yeah, at a dock, not mid-flight."

Alex just shrugged. "Are you here to discuss my commandeering techniques, or was there a real reason for this impromptu meeting?"

Vincent knew when he'd pushed too far. "There have been rumors of unrest on the Dissive front. Several of our spies have informed us that they are beginning to load supplies on airships that will be heading toward the Grand Stream to launch an attack against Anatoray." He had been setting up his portable distillation system while he talked, and he looked at Alex before adding grounds to the unit and starting the boiling process.

"And the Emperor wants the Silverna to take an exploratory mission into the Grand Stream and inform him of when they are arriving." He watched as Vincent set out two mugs. "What is it worth to me?"

"The Emperor will pay for all repairs the Silverna needs when it next docks at Casino Royale.

Alex took mental note of this. The last time Anatoray agreed to pay for all repairs, he was able to upgrade to armor piercing rounds and front cannons. Since Walker was careful how he described things on the billing, Alex had been able to make many 'repairs' to his ship in that manner. Noticing Vincent's evil grin, he figured Vincent had also made 'repairs' over the years.

"When?"

Vincent took the time to pour coffee into both mugs before answering. "Next week. It will take them a week to get all of the ships up and headed into the Grand Stream. No idea how long it will take them to travel through. None of our spies had ever been able to tell us how they traverse the Grand Stream without being destroyed." He breathed deeply of the aroma. "You know, the only time coffee is good for you is when it is first brewed. The fresh aroma has antioxidants that cannot be found in any other form."

Alex continued to watch the Commander of the Urbanis. "Except Green Tea." Vincent waved his hand negligently, as if green tea was of little consequence. Suddenly Alex stood and walked over to a cabinet. Returning with a decanter, he liberally added whisky to his mug.

Vincent spluttered. "What the hell are you doing?"

Alex put the crystal lid back in the decanter and picked up the mug. "I only drink Irish Coffee."

"Yeah, but what has that to do with adding…never mind." Vincent's cheeks were rosy in his embarrassment. "Is it good?"

"Yes." Alex slowly drank his altered coffee while Vincent savored his pure.

They both finished about the same time, and Vincent took a few moments to pack up his portable coffee maker. Looking up from his task, he caught Alex's eye. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to speak to your XO for a few moments."

"I'm not her master." Alex stood and left the room.

_No, but I'm not the only one that wishes she was free to be captured._ When he walked out of Alex's quarters, Sophia was standing at the door.

"The Commander informed me that you wished to speak with me." He smiled and started walking, Sophia staying just behind his right shoulder. "Is there a problem with your first mate? Are you needing some advice?"

"Nothing's wrong with my XO." He gave a grin that every woman recognized as dangerous. "I'd like some advice though."

She frowned at him. "Personal advice?"

"Yes." She took him out onto the deck that led from the officers' quarters to the personnel quarters. She stood as prim as always while he walked over to the railing and looked out over the fields spread below him. "I don't know any other way to say this." He continued to look out over the world, not able to bring himself to make eye contact. "I'm afraid that I've fallen in love," he heard her gasp of breath. "But she's committed elsewhere."

"Does she love that person?"

"Her heart does not belong to me." He looked out at the clouds, but heard her quietly approach. A gentle hand was placed on the upper sleeve of his coat.

"Oh Vince, I'm so sorry." She rested her cheek against his shoulder for a moment. It was a gesture purely of comfort. "Are you sure you're in love?"

He turned and looked at her. "This is what I need advice on." At her quizzical look he continued. "Have you ever been in love?" He didn't know why he felt he had to put himself through this type of hell, but he continued to wait with bated breath.

She looked away, out over the skies. "Yes." It was almost silent, but that quietly voiced word ripped a hole in his heart.

"Was it returned?" He thought he saw tears shimmering in her eyes. "Never mind." He smiled. "It was foolish of me to ask that question, forgive me." He turned to leave, but she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait. That's an unfair question to ask only because of the answer. Whether the feelings are returned or not doesn't matter. I am unable to act on my feelings because of my place in this world."

"But can you tell me if my feelings are love?"

"I don't know. How do you feel?"

He looked her square in the face. "I wake and wonder if she is sharing the same sunshine as me. My heart feels as if it only beats to keep time with hers. I'm terrified that if anything happens to her, I will die at the moment her heart quits because mine cannot beat alone."

A tear slowly traced its way down her cheek and he leaned over to brush it off, smiling crookedly. "What kind of man am I to make a beautiful lady cry?"

She turned and leaned against his chest, quiet sniffs closing the distance between her mouth and his ears. "I'm so sorry Vince. I'm so very sorry." One more delicate sniff and she leaned back, gently wiping her eyes. "I hate to tell you, but the prognosis is fatal. You're in love."

He grinned goofily and stuck his hands in his front pockets. "Doctor, I'm not paying this bill. I already knew that." Suddenly he pierced her with his warm gaze. "I just want to know if it will go away."

She looked through him, thinking hard. "No. It'll finally pass when you do." Her eyes focused back on his. "I wish you could capture her for your own; but if her heart belongs to another, it would be an empty victory."

Vincent knew she was speaking for herself. "I know. And I would never claim her for my own, unless she pursued me."

"Even though you know your love would never be returned?"

"To quote Shakespeare, 'I love her even to the smell of her breath.' There are different types of love, and I would take the palest imitation from her, if she would only allow me to shower her with what I feel."

Sophia blushed lightly. "I almost envy your woman Vince. I hope that you two find yourselves together."

"I don't. I want her to be with the man she loves. I only hope that with the time we've spent together, she realizes that if anything happens to that man, I would want to step in and take care of her." He reached down and checked his pocket watch. "Geez, look at the time. I have to get back to my ship." Turning, he walked to the door. "Thanks for the advice Sophia Forrester. May God watch over you and all those you love."

He was gone before she whispered the same.

**A/N:** Hope everyone has been doing well. Grad school is continuing and it's keeping me busy, but I couldn't help completing this. Enjoy.


	2. Theoretical Territory

**Disclaimer: **Twiknham doesn't own any rights to Last Exile. Those belong to Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. I earn nothing, nada, less than the smallest positive number. Zero to Infinity.

**Chapter 2: Theoretical Territory**

Alex was waiting for Vincent when he arrived in the hanger. "The Silverna will start monitoring the Grand Stream in three days. At first sight of a Dissive ship, we will disengage and head in for repairs. This ship is not part of your conflict, and we would not presume to make it so."

Vincent turned towards his carrier. "I understand." As he started to leave, Alex's hand shot out and captured his forearm in a painful grip.

"Leave her alone. She has difficult enough decisions to make without the added pressure of your uncharted emotions." He released his arm and turned to leave, his black cape flowing behind him like a macabre shadow.

"That's a personal first." Vincent talked louder as the distance between them continued to grow. "You're actually jealous of me."

Alex froze and turned to look at Vincent, anger clearly visible in every line of his body. "You have no ground to stand there and state anything. You know less than nothing about me."

"I know that you're so afraid to lose another woman you care for that you'll push her away until she leaves you." Vincent walked up to him, lowering his voice to a threatening whisper. "And when she does, I'll be there to catch her tears."

Deciding that silence was the better part of valor, Alex turned and stalked to the elevator shaft, leaving Vincent to hope that he never had to face Alex across a battlefield. Shrugging his shoulders and hoping that acting collected brought true calm, Vincent climbed aboard his craft and returned to the Urbanis.

ssssss

Sophia was back on the bridge when Alex arrived. Without saying a word, he turned towards his chair, the black cape swirling around his knees before settling. As he started to sit, Sophia had an instantaneous wish that his cloak would catch and choke him as he sat. He merely slumped against the back of the chair, knees sprawled wide; and stared at her in assumed boredom. Blushing at the thoughts his pose caused to run through her mind, she turned back to the helm. "Ship's rudder, seventeen luft, six fathoms."

Campbell, as astute as ever, raised an eyebrow at her bark of an order she'd already given gently. Without a word, he nodded and pretended to turn the wheel. Alex was glaring so intently at Sophia, neither of them noticed that the ship did not list and take the turn. As the temperature in the room steadily climbed, the other members became restless. Finally Campbell turned and glared at Alex. "For God's sake, go find a room, you're distracting the rest of us."

Alex stood as if Campbell had shoved a prod in a sensitive spot and stalked out of the room, his cape waving mockingly as it flicked out of view. Sophia turned confused eyes on her Helmsman. "What was that about?"

He grinned, teeth showing in a display of evilness. "Exactly how close DID you and Vincent get earlier?" He watched as confusion was slowly replaced by dawning understanding and quickly exchanged for spitfire anger. As she turned and stomped out after Alex, Wina Lightning looked at Campbell, who shrugged his shoulders. "Better than a soap opera."

Sophia stomped down the hall, her boots ringing solidly against the metal deck. Stopping in front of his door, she banged twice, not waiting for permission to enter. Alex's cloak was slung over the back of his chair, and he was standing at the bookcase putting the crystal stopper back in a decanter. Not stopping to think about the possible folly of her actions, Sophia stomped over to him and grabbed him at the second top button of his jacket.

"Who the hell do you think you are, to make sweeping assumptions about my private life?"

He raised the single eyebrow that could set her off quicker than a bottle rocket. "I've not said a word." He raised the glass to his lips, but she pulled it away from him before he could take a sip. Turning it up, she swallowed the contents whole, sputtering as the fire licked down her throat.

Coughing, she released his jacket. Tears welling in her eyes, she looked at him. "What IS this stuff?"

"Rotgut whiskey, Walker makes it himself." He poured a second glass and took a deep sip, enjoying the bite.

She coughed again, for effect. "With what, Claudia fuel?"

"Very likely." He scowled at her. "Walker's finest is not to be chugged like you're some bar wench."

Sophia had taken enough from him today. First he accused her of making time with Vincent, then... Her honor had taken all the abuse it could stand. Not caring about the repercussions, she smacked him with every bit of anger transferred to her open palmed hand.

As his head whipped back under the force of her slap, something inside of him snapped. Setting his glass down with a sharp clink; he wrenched her close, slamming his lips against hers. It was a furious battle. Her glass dropped unnoticed onto the floor as Sophia pushed back, trying to break free. However, Alex countered by putting a hand behind her head, fisting his fingers into her hair as he turned them so their mouths fit tighter.

Tears running down her face from the pain of having her hair pulled ever more tightly by his fist, Sophia gasped for breath before driving her teeth into his lip. At the taste of copper, she hesitated. As angry as she was, she had no true desire to hurt Alex. Sure, he trampled on whatever heart she allowed him access to; but he did it out of pain, not malice. She was starting to back away when he reacted.

Realizing she'd drawn first blood, he forcefully inserted his tongue; making sure she understood exactly whom she was fighting with. He pulled her head back further, robbing her mouth of leverage and giving him better access. Breathing heavily, he explored the inside of her cheeks and the ridge of her teeth. Gasping for breath, he broke away long enough to look at her. "Fight me back, damn you." Seizing her mouth again, he held her immobile while his other hand worked buttons free on her jacket. As her tongue rushed in to dual with his, he wedged a knee between her thighs, wrapping his hand around her back and pulling her tight so that she was riding his leg.

The feeling of her feet leaving the floor was the trigger that unclouded her mind. Pushing furiously, she broke free and fell to the floor, jacket unbuttoned and thighs exposed by the skirt that had ridden up her legs. Gathering all of her courage, she stood and glared at Alex. "I'm not Yuris. Don't think to use me as a substitute." She buttoned her jacket before turning towards the door. "I'm Sophia Forrester." Running her hands down the outside of her thighs to straighten her skirt, she stepped out the door, making sure the latch clicked. As she gathered her wits, leaning against the wall outside of his quarters, she distinctly heard the sound of crystal smashing against the door.

**A/N:** 'Til Later


	3. Piece Activity

**Disclaimer: **Twiknham doesn't own any rights to Last Exile. Those belong to Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. I'm just using these awesome characters to tell a story. Enjoy.

**Chapter 3: Piece Activity**

Neither of them appeared on the bridge at the same time over the next two days. As the day to start the monitoring of the Grand Stream dawned, Sophia decided that something had to be done. Gathering her courage, and double-checking to make sure her hair was tightly coiffured, she knocked on his door.

"Come in." The deep gravelly voice sent a shiver down her spine. Ruthlessly quashing it, she opened the door and stepped into his domain. He didn't look up from the map he was perusing.

"Tatiana is suiting up to head into the Grand Stream." She glanced at her watch. "At Oh Nine Hundred Hours, the fighter ship will leave the hanger." She turned to leave.

"I'll be there."

She stepped through the door.

"Sophia…"

She froze.

"There will be no repeat of my actions the other day."

She nodded once and left, leaving the door open. She made it as far as her cabin before a tear silently slid down her cheek. Closing the door to her cabin, she walked over to the mirror and used a towel to wipe her cheeks and get herself back in proper presentation.

ssssss

Tatiana was already out in the fighter ship before Alex made his appearance. As he walked onto the bridge, Sophia was studying the map and determining the best way to quadrangle the search. He invaded her personal space and leaned forward to almost randomly put his finger down. "Here." She looked up at him. "We need to search here."

Sophia leaned back over the map. "How do you know?"

His eyes lit up for the first time in a week. "I've been in the Grand Stream, remember?"

She scowled at him. "Are we looking for Dissith, or are we heading after Maestro Delphine?"

"We're looking for Dissith; but if we run into the bitch, we won't pass up the opportunity." He backed away and stood looking off into an invisible space.

The rest of Tatiana's recon was spent barking and following commands. Day one yielded no results.

ssssss

Tatiana slung her gloves against the seat of her ship and jumped down, disregarding the ladder that was placed there for her safety. "Damn you Alister, you almost got us killed out there!"

Alister had just removed her mask and was pulling her braid around to the front with shaky hands. "I'm sorry Tatiana, I was trying to compensate for the sudden influx of turbulent pressure by lowering the Claudia and slowing us down." Her grey eyes looked at the floor of the ship.

"Well, you didn't leave me enough power to get out of the stall. If I hadn't been such a crack pilot, we both would have died." She walked away and stopped, her back to Alister. "Do you understand that we BOTH would have become two more lost souls in the Grand Stream?"

Alister looked at the back of her best friend and flying partner. "Yes mam."

"Fine." Tatiana walked off, leaving Alister still sitting in her seat.

Gale and Giese walked over. "Tough break Miss Agrew." Gale held up his wrench while Giese put a hand up to help her down.

Grasping his offering with her shaking hand, she put a foot down on the top rung. Just as she put her weight on it, the adrenaline left her body and she lost all the strength to her legs. Toppling over the edge of the cockpit, she was sure her next stop would be the floor. When two strong arms caught her mid-falter, she looked up into deep eyes that accentuated a tough face.

She blushed, than stammered…"Uh, thank you!" When his arms tightened, she tilted her head in confusion.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll carry you across the floor here. We've just finished changing oil in one of these beauties, and you've already had one near miss." Giese walked over to the lifts and gently set her down, taking a moment to brush her wayward hair out of her eyes. Saluting smartly, he turned on his heel and walked briskly back to her ship.

Alister watched him walk away. As he reached Gale, she shook her head and wondered at her sudden impetuousness. Stepping back into the shadows, she had an instant flicker of understanding why some people liked living in the shade.

ssssss

Giese had to undergo two days of ribbing from Gale. Luckily for him, Gale was intelligent enough to realize the truth behind his actions, and kept the episode to himself. If Godwin had gotten hold of that information, he NEVER would have lived it down. As it was, the next two days were horrible. Every time Tatiana told them to prepare the ship, Giese would hold his breath and pray that the beautiful two would make it back unscathed.

The third day out, their cable broke. It took everything Tatiana had to maneuver them back to the ship. Cussing every bad thought and evil word she could think, she wrestled the controls. Alister was amazing, she followed every command in the instant Tatiana barked it. Tatiana knew it was because Alister finally realized that any slip would result in their deaths. Just as she felt her arms were being ripped from their sockets, and her teeth were chattering so hard that she was afraid she'd cracked a molar, the Silverna appeared like an island out of the mist.

As they landed, everyone in the hanger ran over and helped them out of the cockpit. Tatiana was furious. "Who the HELL didn't check the cable connections?" Gale could almost swear he saw foam around her mouth.

Godwin walked over, holding the split end of the cable. "Mam, the cable connections were fine. It appears that something hit the cable and broke it." She marched over and looked at it. Sure enough, there were no frayed ends. The cable had been cut, it had not snapped. "If you want my opinion, I think you need to tell the commander about this."

Lost in thought, Tatiana walked to the lift, Alister following silently behind her.

ssssss

Although Tatiana never told Alex about the cable, the next morning the cables had been reinforced with guide-wires. Godwin thought that two wires would have been preferable to a single wire, but he also understood there had to be a tradeoff between safety and lightness. Watching the two fly out into the chaos that was the Grand Stream, Godwin hoped they made it back safely. Seeing something in his peripheral, he turned to watch XO Forrester walk around a post.

"Will the new rigging work?"

"Yes mam, within limitations."

"And those limitations would be…"

"They still need to be light enough to fly."

"You think they need two wires." She turned to look at him, taking in his unkempt appearance and dirty hands without any reaction.

"Yes mam." She made him feel distinctly uncomfortable sometimes. Her perfect coiffure, her unblemished appearance. It was almost as if she wasn't human. She'd never shown any type of reaction to their appearances, but he wished he could be more…Alex-like around her.

Suddenly, she leaned over and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good man Godwin. I'm glad you're on our staff." Turning, she headed back to the lift. "Keep me updated on anything that affects our pilots."

"Yes Mam!" He watched her disappear into the shadows, than went back to work on one of the spare ships.

ssssss

Alex was sitting on the couch in his quarters and playing a dangerous game of illusion. It involved having Maestro Delfine's ship appear out of the mist, and the Silverna blasting it to Hell. Since his ship wasn't ready to battle the Bitch, he opened his eyes and decided to check on how their recon was coming. Just as he entered the bridge area, a cry came out over the intercom system.

"Dissith fleet at 3:00. There are…three, no seven, over ten now."

"Get our vanship out of there!" His bark caused Sophia to turn.

"Tatiana, come back in. You've done a good job!"

"Yes Mam." Static covered the line again as they switched off the ship-to-ship communiqué.

Alex's deep voice murmured in Sophia's left ear. "Contact the Urbanis. Tell them that we're heading to Walker's to pick up a dozen shipments."

She nodded before turning towards Campbell. Alex headed downstairs to make sure his two best flyers made it back on board safely.

**A/N:** Hope everyone had a great week. See you next week!


	4. Open Lines

**Disclaimer: **Twiknham doesn't own any rights to Last Exile. Those belong to Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. I'm just using these awesome characters to tell a story. Enjoy.

**Chapter 4: Open Lines**

Walker stalked out onto the pier and looked at the big monster heading towards the private dock. "Martin, the outlaws are back."

A tall older man looked over and grinned, showing a missing front tooth and a propensity to chew tobacco. "Yes sir!" As soon as the Silverna docked, they would seal the dock. Most of the ships large enough to dock at Casino Royale were the high level military fleets. Military captains by and large had a propensity to want others to know when they were at dock. If a lesser ship came to dock; seeing a higher-ranking officer's vessel, that ship would travel on to the next port. The only time there were problems was when a higher ranking ship decided to dock. Than the two officers would have to come to an agreement to share, or the lower ranking ship would finish supply renewal and embark on the next leg of their assignment.

Alex Rowe had neither time, nor patience, for the political maneuverings of the Anatoray Fleets. He had commissioned the Silverna himself. That basically made him a privateer. Although he used the funds received from the Emperor for services rendered, there were multiple rumors of where he had received his startup capital. His favorite was that he was the last heir to the lost colony, and he had untapped resources due to the rent his family was annually paid by both Anatoray and Dissith for the lands his family held the rights. Every time he came to dock, Walker would have a new one for him. Alex actually accused him of making up the last few, they were so far-fetched. And one once made him so angry that if it had been anyone besides Walker, he probably would have shot him.

As the ship rounded the curve to dock on the backside of Walker's, Alex clenched his teeth as he remembered. It had happened several years ago. As usual, they were both drinking a pint of the finest ale made from the finest water. Since Walker was in charge, he had access to whatever he wanted. He hobbied in homebrew, so why not use the best water for it?

Suddenly Walker spoke up. "So, you ready for the latest rumor on the 'Tres Magnifique Alex Rowe'?" Alex nodded. "The latest rumor is that your seed money is actually blood money." Alex raised an eyebrow. "Blood money received from the Emperor when you killed his daughter." Suddenly Alex stood, knocking over the table between them. Walker stayed seated, realizing that if he stood, Alex would take him down. Calmly raising his hands, he tried to placate his friend. "Hey, I don't make them up, I only relay them. We both know the truth. Now, sit down…" he poured another mug for Alex "and let's talk about why you are here." Alex turned and walked out, not seeing Walker again until the day he left.

Walker was one of the first vanship mechanics that Alex had ever had dealings with, long before his personal experience with the Grand Stream. After his run-in with Maestro Delfine, he went back and recruited Walker to help him build his ship, the ship that would eventually be called 'The Kill Them All Silverna.' As the ship grew, Walker's dock grew. While working on the Silverna, he was also taking in vanship repairs on the side. Eventually, Alex sat down with him and told him that they needed to find a way hide his ship, he'd found yet another curious vanship pilot walking around on the half-built decks. Two days later, his dock was covered in aluminum.

"What do you think?" Walker pointed at the 'blinds' with glee.

"How do I get out?"

Walker chuckled. "Well, we push this lever here; and voila, the blinds come open."

They both watched as the top blind pulled in towards the bay, exposing the ship to the bright daytime sky. "When did you have time to do all of this? I only told you two days ago."

Walker grinned, chewing on a cigarette. "I noticed the problem two weeks ago, and set Martin on figuring out a plan. I thank you for helping me start up this place, giving me all of your earnings from your many years delivering multiple star messages. Although I grew up on the streets as a sneak thief, I'm paying you back honestly by building that monster of yours. However, I've still got enough sneak in me to know when someone wants to be seen, and when they want to disappear. Just remember," he pointed at the again sealed hanger, "this is yours, no one else can play in this hole."

Alex turned to look at his long-time friend. "Thank you." He walked away.

"The thanks belongs to you!"

ssssss

Looking out over the edge of Silverna's railing, Alex noticed that Walker was standing in his usual spot. Making an executive decision, he marched inside to find Sophia.

Sophia was tightening the clasp on her hair when he knocked on the door. Startled, she dropped the clasp, causing her hair to fall around her shoulders. Leaning forward, she unlocked and opened the door latch before dropping down to pick up her clasp. When she stood, clasp in hand, Alex was frozen in the doorway. "Commander! What's wrong?" She already knew why he'd frozen, she looked just like Yuris with her hair down. As much as she hated being compared to a dead woman, she knew that was the only connection Alex was capable of making.

"Put your hair up, it is unbecoming on a ship such as this."

She turned and cut him a nasty look. "I WAS putting my hair up when you rudely startled me. In fact, I was in the process of locking the clip in place. Now, come in and close the door so that no one else sees my inappropriate attire."

Startled by her acerbic tone, he did exactly that; standing with his back against the door while she quickly finished putting her hair back up. "I want you to come with me to talk with Walker about the latest modifications to the Silverna."

Sophia stopped her tidying and turned to look at him. "Why?"

"You are my XO."

"Yeah, but I thought those meetings were men-only."

"Since it's always been just two of us at these meetings, I guess that would be true. However, you are as good as any male XO I know, better than most. I believe we can make an exception." He turned and left, standing just outside the door. "Are you coming with me?"

"Yes, but I still don't understand why." She shut the door, the braid holders swinging gently with her movements.

"I want you to see what your daddy's money is going to give us." He walked on, not seeing the cutting glare she sent him at the ugly reminder of her responsibilities.

**A/N:** Happy Thanksgiving everyone! -TK


	5. Allele

**Disclaimer: **Rights to Last Exile Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. Twiknham / Geneon and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. Therefore, Twiknham doesn't own any rights to Last Exile. I'm just using these awesome characters to tell a story. Enjoy.

**Chapter 5: Allele**

Walker was surprised when Alex brought his XO with him. "Welcome back, chief! What can I do you for?" Alex didn't respond. _Oho, so it's going to be like that is it? No warm camaraderie while the lady is around._

"We need to talk to you about a new weapon system I want installed." He pulled out a small set of prints. "I have the full ones in my cabin. Are you interested?"

Walker took a moment to study them before whistling lightly through his teeth. "What kind of mess did you get yourself into, that you'd get paid enough to do this?"

Sophia stood, silent as a stone. When Walker looked over at her and winked, she slowly averted her eyes and stood staring off into the distance.

"Can you do it in the next seven days?"

"A week you say?" He rubbed his chin. "What kind of munitions are we talking here?"

"Armor piercing rounds, the diameter of the smaller turrets. The large turrets are for torpedoes."

"You got the rounds, or am I providing?"

"If you'll accept shipment, they'll be here tomorrow."

Sophia turned back to look at her commanding officer at those words. "How long had you been planning this sir?"

He speared her with a hot glare. "Forever." He turned and stalked off.

After a moment of awkward silence, Walker looked at Alex's abandoned XO. "Well, come on. Someone has to drink the beer I poured for him."

For the next three hours, the two of them sat and drank ale, regaling each other with stories of Alex. When they finally noticed the time, they giggled and decided to head back to the ship together. They had made it as far as the ramp when Alex stopped them. Turning to look at her sloshed partner, Sophia put her finger up to her lips. "Ssssh! We haf to be fery quiet, we donf want Alek to shink we're drunk." Since she said it at the top of her lungs, it really defeated the purpose.

Walker hugged her tightly. "Okay, and we haf to walk uprite." Not letting go, he gave her a glare. "No holdin' on to me for support, we're goin' to haf to do thish by ourselfs." Suddenly letting go, he straightened up before teetering and falling over on his back like a dead bug. He looked up at his wobbling friend. "I fink I'll jush sfay here." Rolling over, he started snoring.

Alex took one look at Sophia and couldn't decide whether to be furious, or humored. It was obvious that she was in unfit condition for anything more than crashing in her quarters. Making a command decision, he scooped her up and carried her into the Silverna. "Sophia, if you say one damned thing, or do anything other than pretend you are asleep, I will never forgive you for this indiscretion." He walked briskly, his forced limp deserted in his attempt to carry his burden without dropping her.

"It's nok like I wenf out and cheafed on you or somefing." She tried to glare at him, but ended up just staring at his collarbone.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow. Now, go to sleep."

Not thinking twice, she curled up against his shoulder and did exactly that.

Coming around the corner, Godwin was met with the most unusual sight of his commander carrying his XO. "Sir, is Miss Forrester alright?"

"She has just been under too much stress. She'll be fine." He turned to continue down the hall.

"Okay, sorry to have bothered you." Godwin also headed on his way.

"Godwin?"

"Yes."

"There is a very drunk and passed-out Walker sleeping at the bottom of the docking plank. See that he get back to his quarters, and that nothing is ever said of this incident."

"Yes Sir!" They both headed on their separate ways.

Getting Sophia to her cabin wasn't the problem. Sliding the covers back and putting her in bed wasn't a problem. The problem came when he realized she couldn't sleep with her hair up in that clamp. Three times he reached for it, his hand shaking so badly by the third attempt that he could barely control it. "Fuck this, it serves her right to wake up with a headache in the morning." Turning to leave, he almost made it to the door before turning back. _No, you would never mistreat someone who takes care of you like she does._ Turning back, he suddenly reached around her and unsnapped the clamp.

Since she was lying down, her hair didn't do much, it just unrolled and lay there. _Not too bad, now for the little pieces in the front._ The one she was almost laying on wasn't such a problem. However, as he unraveled the hair from the second one, he was taken back to a time in which he remembered how to smile.

ssssss

The sunshine was tickling his eyelids and as he rolled to get away from it, he heard light giggling. Pretending to still be asleep, he waited for what Yuris would do next. Something very light wafted over his bare shoulder and down his exposed arm. He groaned lightly and moved his hand so it was closer to his other one. Eyes still closed, he could hear her tiptoeing around to the other side of the bed. Suddenly the light tickling sensation started at that same shoulder and worked its way down his neck and across one of his nipples. At the end of his rope, he peeked to get her position.

Quicker than she could react, he reached out and snagged the wrist holding the torture weapon and yanked her into bed with him. She laughed, and they started a wrestling match to see who would end up with the feather. Somewhere in the midst of their struggles, the sheet ended up on the floor and the long feather ended up in Alex's hand. Waving it in the air triumphantly, he looked down to find a very disheveled Yuris lying under him, panting lightly from their exertions.

"So, what do you suppose should be your punishment for waking me up?" He was leaning over so their chests were touching. She was wearing some sort of silky gown. She must have put it on when she got out of bed, because she didn't had it on when they fell asleep.

"Oh kind sir, please don't harm me. I meant no malice in my gentle ministrations. I thought you would enjoy the gentle caress of a feather over the mechanical buzz of an alarm." She blinked up at him, playing into the helpless maiden role.

He laughed naughtily. "Oh, but my dear, I am a vanship pilot by trade. Mechanical noises are always music to my ears." He took a second to use the quill side of the feather to scratch his temple. "Although I will admit, the feather was a nice change of pace. I suppose I can let you by this time."

"A vanship pilot?" She ran her free hand down his chest. "You're one of those daring men who flies amongst the clouds just to deliver important missives for the military?"

He threw the feather off the side of the bed and puffed out his chest. "Oh yes, that would be me."

"So, what is the most dangerous mission you've ever undertaken?" She ran little swirls around his chest, wondering why he had no hair to mar his chest, when the hair on his head was so thick.

"Ah, I'm not sure a delicate lady as yourself can hear such tales, but…I will share." He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "It involved a woman."

"A woman! Did you have to deliver a baby?"

He scoffed. "No such indignities would ever befall a vanship pilot of MY repute. No, I was asked to deliver a maiden from a noble house in time for her wedding."

"And what happened?"

"Well, it was a cloudy day. The vanship bucked and jerked, it was very turbulent." He looked at her and winked. "It was a five star mission, so I knew it was important. I couldn't let the nobles down."

"Oh, really?" She raised her eyebrow at him, he'd never shown any particular favoritism towards the noble class before.

"Well, it sounds good in the retelling." They both chuckled. "Anyways, just as we were about to reach our destination, lighting struck the ship, causing us to lose all Claudia pressure."

"Did you crash?" She squirmed under him in excitement, causing his excitement to veer off in an entirely non-relevant direction.

"We made a controlled landing." He hissed as her squirming rubbed very delicate parts against very delicate parts.

"Controlled my ass, you almost killed us!" She pushed against his chest in mock fury.

"Yes, but I did get you there in time for our wedding." He leaned forward to kiss her.

She kissed him back, showing him all the passion that they had garnered over the months. Breaking away, she smiled at him, her eyes coming alive with the joy she felt. "If I'd known you were my groom, it would have reduced my stress. Arranged marriages are never any fun."

"Ours has been." He bent down and started sucking on her neck.

She pulled him down, making a spot for him. "Yes, but we're the exception to every rule. I love you with everything in my being. That's quite uncommon for a noble marriage."

He stopped to look at her. "And I you." Twinkling eyes broke into their serious moment. "Are you done talking so we can get this ship off the ground?"

"As usual, you think that because you have the stick, you're better than me. Just remember, without the navie, the pilot is screwed."

He chuckled. "Actually, without the navie, this pilot ISN'T screwed." He watched as a blush ran up her cheeks.

"Fine, I'll navigate. As long as you keep good control of the stick we should get where we're going."

They both sighed as he lifted them into flight. "I think I can handle it."

That day, they received word that they would be assisting Hamilcal Valca and George Head on a 10 star mission to deliver a massive from the Emperor of Anatoray to the Chief of the Dissith.

Within 24 hours, everything he cherished was gone.

ssssss

Alex shook his head, and looked back down at the sleeping woman in front of him. He laid the unwound section of hair lightly behind her ear. If he didn't take the time to look at her eyes, he would swear she was his Yuris come back from the dead. He was afraid one day he'd forget to look in those eyes and reach for what he could never get back. It was the main reason he stayed so mad at her. She would always be the shadow image, the reflection that came off the mirror. He knew she had feelings for him, anyone with eyes could see that. However, he had given his completely to Yuris and when she was ripped from their ship, his heart was taken too. Standing up, he turned and left her cabin, destination unknown.

**A/N:** I hope you continue to enjoy this fic. I can tell people are reading this story, which is a relief. Keep reading, and I'll keep updating. No reviews are necessary, but I do like receiving them. No flames must mean I'm doing reasonably well… if I can improve, let me know. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Now that finals are over, you should get weekly updates again. -TK


	6. Offensive Move

**Disclaimer:** If you haven't figured out by now, I own a single, legitimate box-set of the series, and a legitimate copy of the OST1 CD (which is awesome!). However, I own no rights of any of the characters. That privilege belongs to: Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. Enjoy my completely free story, based (some would say loosely) on the characters in Last Exile.

**Chapter 6: Offensive Move**

When Walker opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a tall burly man sitting in his favorite chair, drinking out of his favorite mug and smoking one of his expensive cigars. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Name's Godwin. I'm Rowe's chief mechanic." He blew a smoke stream into the air, and took another sip of ale.

As Walker sat up, he realized that there might be more to this man's invasion than met the eye. "My head is pounding. What the hell happened?"

Godwin leaned over and smiled at him, holding up his mug. "That's what I want to know. Exactly how many of these did Miss Forrester drink last night?"

Walker groaned. Despite the splitting headache, aching body, and teeth covered in vile-tasting fuzz; recollection was a sharp knife. "More than one, less than me."

"Well, considering that she's half your size, I guess that's a good thing." He took another chug. "Pretty good ale by the way. The cigar's not half-bad either." He looked at it, having no idea what brand it was.

"Imported from Dissith, they know a few things about cigar making." Walker straightened up, not willing to stand yet. "Is Miss Forrester okay?"

"Mmm, I'm sure she is having the same type of morning, minus the man in her room; but she is a pretty resilient woman."

"Alex is a fool."

Godwin chuckled. "He probably wouldn't agree with your general assessment, but actions sometimes speak louder than words."

"I suppose he sent you to take care of me?"

Godwin chewed on the end of the cigar for a second before answering. "Yup. I had to carry your sorry drunk ass all the way from the Silverna to your quarters. I also decided that since Alex Rowe would want to make sure you survived your drunken stupor, I'd make do with this chair, and the free perks." He gestured to the mug.

"So we did make it back to the ship. I was concerned about that." Walker was already figuring the deduction Alex would make to his commission, and it wasn't looking so good for keeping himself in perks. _Teach me to spend time with any of his chosen people._ "So, why are you STILL here?"

"Just wanted to make sure you understood a few things."

Walker groaned and looked at the younger man named Godwin. "I see a lot of things while running this place. As the very successful owner, I would hope I've sense enough to realize what does and doesn't actually happen on my property."

Godwin stood and grinned at the older man. "I thought you looked like a reasonable fellow."

"Nobody will hear anything from _me_." He chuckled at Godwin's scowl

"I have too much respect to repeat things I see either."

"Good man. Why don't you take a couple of those cigars with you, my way of showing appreciation for being babysat."

Godwin opened his jacket, showing three cigars stowed in the inner pocket. "Already have."

They both chuckled and Godwin left, leaving Walker to clean up and start his morning.

ssssss

Sophia was sure she'd died and gone to hell. As she wobbled over to the mirror, she envisioned blood shot eyes emphasized by the green wrinkled flesh of her face. When the woman in the mirror looked normal, she closed her eyes long enough to give thanks. Opening them again, she noticed her hair was down. Touching it, she frowned. _Did Alex take it down for me?_ She looked around and found her clamp and beads sitting on her desk. Not taking time to think further about it, she pulled her hair up and prepared for a miserable day.

As she walked onto the bridge, she noticed Alex was standing in her usual spot. Campbell raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to the wheel. Alex glared at her as she approached. "You shouldn't be here."

"This is my job." She looked around. "What are you doing, just out of curiosity? I thought we were at dock."

"We are. I decided since my XO was in bed sick with the flu," he looked at her pointedly "I would work on precision drills with the staff. They are leaving to go to Casino Royale at fifteen-hundred, that gives us two more hours to practice."

"What are we practicing for?"

"You, my peckish XO, are practicing sleeping. Go back to bed before you infect the rest of the crew." He turned her around and marched her to the door.

Once they were outside, she turned to look at him. "I don't have the flu."

"We both know that, but do you really want all of your subordinates to know the truth?"

She hung her head, again Alex showed wiser judgment. "No. I'll be in my quarters whenever you're ready to mete out my punishment."

Alex observed the sweat running down the edge of her hairline, and the slight grayish tent to her skin. "Oh I believe you are being punished quite satisfactorily as it stands. But, we'll talk about how you'll make up for today's inconvenience later." He sent her on her way, watching as she entered her cabin and shut the door. "And that bill will be hefty." Turning back to the bridge, he decided that the staff could leave early and give him time to deal with his other miscreant.

ssssss

Walker was working in his office when Alex came in. He looked up, saw who it was, and went back to work without acknowledging him. "Ah, I see we're hiding in our office today. Avoiding me?"

"Not particularly. I just wanted to finish this last line of accounting before my pounding head had to focus on you." He gestured towards the bar. "Help yourself, I'm kicking the habit for a few days."

Alex walked over to the bar and poured a whiskey, and a glass of ice water. Setting the water in front of Walker, he took the chair opposite his desk. "Sophia is none the worse this morning."

"No hangover?"

"Oh, she's hating life; but she won't be permanently damaged by it." He listened to the workers in the hanger. "Is this the quietest place you could find?"

Walker grimaced. "No, but a hangover doesn't keep the work from piling up. I don't plan on handling any heavy equipment today, but I can still see that my staff stays on task."

Alex crossed a leg and looked at his old friend. "So, what did you talk about?"

"Our favorite subject of course."

"And did you learn anything about your favorite subject, that your favorite subject needs to know about?"

"No. Your XO is trustworthy. I just discussed escapades we got into when you were a younger, less cynical Alex; and Sophia talked about some things the four of you did while you were at the academy together, before…"

"Sophia huh?"

Walker looked at Alex, it was hard to believe this man hadn't made any moves on his XO. Alex was so eaten with jealousy that Walker could almost see the green imps. "When you get as drunk as we did, you no longer have to worry about formalities. Don't worry," he took a sip of water "I'll refer to her as XO Forrester when we're in public."

"So, do you have plans to do this again with my XO?"

"Your XO is still a free citizen, but I suspect she's the type not to repeat her mistakes."

Alex stood to go. "Most of the time."

As he reached the door, Walker stopped him. "The Silverna will be ready at the end of the week."

"Thank you." He was gone before Walker could tell him that the Dissith fleet had petitioned the Guild for a battle the following week with Anatoray, and his team had sped up their pace to make sure Alex was ready, just in case.

**A/N:** Hope everyone had a great week! Until next time… -TK


	7. Vienna Game

**Disclaimer:** If it hasn't become especially clear over the last almost year I've been writing fanfics, I don't own any of them. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics…well maybe I would, but not for the ones I owned. These characters are the property of Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. Please enjoy this completely free update.

**Chapter 7: Vienna Game**

The next morning, Giese was bent over the red vanship engine, head between the Claudia cylinder and the cam box when he felt like he was being watched. In this group of mechanics, that was not unusual, but it didn't feel like Gale or any of his teammates. Slowly extricating his body parts from the ship, he stood up and turned around.

Alister was standing at the base of the ladder, as quiet as a waif. Deciding to tease her, he bent down on his haunches and smiled. "How was the view? Did you like what you saw?"

As she realized what he meant, she blushed ferociously. He was just about to laugh and tell her he was just kidding with her when she cleared her throat and looked at him. "Yes, I did."

They both blinked, neither believing that she'd actually been that forward. Realizing he would probably now think she was a loose woman, she turned to flee. Before she could put her first foot forward, he gently caught her hand, stopping her escape. "Wait!"

He smiled gently at her. "Miss Agrew, I'm not embarrassed you told me the truth. You're always so quiet, it's hard to see what you are thinking." He let go of her hand, expecting her to leave.

"It's not my job to voice my opinion." Her grey eyes were almost vacant.

Giese grabbed her shoulders, bringing him closer to her face. "But you are allowed to _have_ an opinion. You might be Tatiana's navie, but she doesn't own your soul." She blinked, but he continued. "What say we go out and see the sights tonight? I never spend any of my wages and I would be honored to treat you to dinner."

"Like a date?"

"Only if you want." He caught his breath. "Just dinner, I know you're not easy."

"Oh…okay. What time?"

"Five, we'll go early before the rowdies show up."

"I'll be here." She turned and left, again like the mist she resembled.

Giese spent the rest of the day on cloud nine. Twice Gale stopped him and asked him what was going on. Giese never sang, and he'd been doing show tunes all afternoon. Despite Gale's persistence, Giese held his own council and no one guessed his secret. Just before 5pm, Giese walked out of his quarters, wearing civies and walked up the staircase. As he expected, he met Alister on her way down. She was very pretty in a light sage colored dress. "Hello, what say we take an alternate path down."

Eyes that had been excited a moment before dulled. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

He tripped on a step and almost fell on his face. Stopping, he caught her arm, gently turning her and placing his hand tenderly along her cheek. "Are you kidding me? I've wanted to spend time with you since I first saw you. I just thought you might like a night out with a possibility that Tatiana doesn't discover your whereabouts. I'm sure she wouldn't approve of her navie going on a date with a grease monkey."

She suddenly narrowed her eyes and flicked him sharply on his chin with a finger. "Don't say that about yourself! If it wasn't for you guys, we flygirls would never get off the ground."

He laughed, a warm hearty sound; and turned, pulling her down the stair behind him. "We both know that, but there are others that wouldn't agree." Suddenly he stopped. "Are you sure I'm not too old for you?"

She laughed. "You might be a year or two older. I'm not as young as I look."

He scratched his head. "Huh. I could have sworn you were just out of academy."

"Five years ago."

"Five years! We've worked together for five years?"

She rushed over and put her hand over his mouth. "Hush. After all of this work, do you want to blow our cover now?" She turned the handle and they found themselves two ports away from the plank. Moving quickly, they reached the plank and disembarked without anyone the wiser.

ssssss

Over two pints of Grade 3 water, having decided to save their money for other things, they talked about life on the Silverna and where they had come from. Geise had grown up in a small farming community a short trip from the Anatoray capital. He talked about what it was like to grow up with the grass under his feet, running along the rock-strewn plains and hiding behind the trees that occasionally littered the countryside.

"Do you have any siblings?" Alister would never look at this gentle man the same again.

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, an older brother and a little sister."

She smiled. "So you're the middle child?"

"Mmm. What's the saying about the middle child?"

Alister leaned forward, putting her chin on her folded hands. "I don't know."

Geise smiled. "Something about how since the middle child is not the oldest, the middle child never is given the respect due an elder. But since the middle child is not the youngest, never receives the coddling either. I seem to remember it being something about how we are the invisible ones, destined to lead average lives."

Alister turned her head and looked at him with sad eyes. "Surely that's not the truth!"

Geige chuckled and looked at the somber woman across from him. "Of course not. We're just like any other child. We have all the potential in the world." Their food arrived and he waited for the waiter to leave before adding, "But to be honest, I'm more comfortable in those invisible jobs."

Humor briefly lit Alister's eyes before she turned to her plate. The specialty of Casino Royale was bird. Not unbelievable considering the constant bird races. She wondered if she was eating the loser, or just one who had outlived its race potential.

"Mmm, pretty good." Geise held up a piece of bird on the end of his fork. "Do you think this one lost last night?"

Alister chucked, her laugh like the low bells in a temple shrine, harmonic and quiet. "I was wondering the same thing."

"Kinda morbid if you ask me." He popped the fork in his mouth and chewed. "But pretty tasty none the less."

They ate in companionable conversation. As the plates were cleared off, Geise turned back to their earlier conversation. "I told you all about my life and the crazy antics of my family, but I didn't give you the chance to talk. Where are you from?"

Alister had hoped this topic wouldn't arise. "I'm an only child." She didn't elaborate.

"Did you grow up on a farm…no, you're too refined for that." Geise looked up and realized that Alister's mind had traveled to some past memory without him.

**A/N:** I hope everyone is enjoying this fic. It has a fairly loyal, if mostly silent, reader base. I know because I get to see the hits counter. I'm glad that there ARE Last Exile fans out there. It's a sweet, if not well-known, series.

Don't worry, I enjoy reviews; but I don't expect them and I will never threaten to not add another chapter because I don't get reviews. I write for myself, and share for your enjoyment. It's okay not to review. All I ask is that if I need improvement, PLEASE let me know. I am working on my writing skills because I'm not where I want to be yet. For some reason, I don't get many flames; but each one I've gotten has helped me improve one more step. So, if this needs a flame, just tell me why while you're flaming me. "Yo Mama Didn't Raise no Writer" isn't going to help me improve much. 'Yo Mama Didn't Raise no Writer 'Cause You Understand DIDLY About Foreshadowing.' Well, I can work with that.

**I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas!** -TK


	8. Principles of Play

**Disclaimer: **These characters are the property of Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. I am not any of these individuals, and claim no rights to their characters. Please enjoy this completely free update.

**Chapter 8: Principles of Play**

"Alister, you're going to be late if you don't hurry." A middle-aged woman with sandy blonde hair stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked up at her young daughter. Alister was only seven, and she was fighting abject terror as she finished buttoning up her skirt. "Come on dear."

Alister slowly made her way down the stairs and looked at her mother with wet eyes. "I don't want to go. I heard the nobles eat small children."

Kaileen laughed. "Honey, no. You're going to stay with their daughter and help take care of her like I take care of her parents." She straightened the bow on her daughter's dark blonde braid before opening the door.

"Does that mean I'm going to cook?" Pure dread lurked in the brown of her eyes. Her previous attempts had been met with failure.

"Not at your age. Why don't you concern yourself with getting to know Tatiana and let me continue to worry about the food.

"Ta-tI-a-na?" It sounded pretty.

Kaileen reached down and grabbed Alister's hand. "Yes, that's correct. Now, we must hurry or we'll be late."

Alister's mother had been working for the Wislas for seven years when she met Markem. Markem had been hired to handle the repairs around the home, and never passed up an opportunity to harass the pretty cook. After a year of antagonistic behavior that spread out beyond the servants' areas, Mrs. Wisla had sat them down and explained they were either to marry or to find other jobs. At first they were appalled at the thought; but within six months of their marriage, they were thanking Mrs. Wisla for understanding the human heart more than they did.

Their marriage had survived five years when Kaileen realized she was pregnant. They had given up on having their own children and were devoting all of their attention to the Wisla youngsters. Tatiana had just turned one when Alister was born. The Agrews knew Alister was a gift from God. The Wislas were overjoyed because they would be able to provide a companion to their darling daughter when she was old enough.

Eight years later, Alister found herself standing in front of two tall adults and a very strict looking girl with straight blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Alister bowed. "I'm Alister Agrew and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Tatiana blinked and smiled. "I didn't say you could speak."

Alister was taken back. Not sure if she'd get in trouble for speaking out of turn, she looked at the ground, a submissive posture.

Tatiana was not one to back down from anyone, and she had to establish her superiority early. "And you're rude. Aren't you even going to say you're sorry?" Blue eyes glared at the down-turned head.

Alister looked up in confusion. She'd been told to stay quiet, now she was being told she was rude because she hadn't apologized. She looked at the older girl and fell to the floor, bowing. "Sumimasen."

"Oh for crying out loud, stand up." Tatiana turned to leave, knowing Alister would follow. "Just one thing. Realize that if I want your opinion, I'll tell you what it is."

Thus started their relationship. Within a year, everyone knew Alister, or Alista as she was often called, as Tatiana's shadow. She enjoyed her new life as Tatiana's personal servant. However, it was Tatiana's ninth birthday that would change the path of Alister's life forever. Mr. Wisla hired a freelancer to take his daughter for a short flight. When the ship landed, Tatiana's eyes were filled with a glow that had never been apparent before.

Over the next year, Tatiana had talked her father into many more trips. As Tatiana's right hand, Alister stood on the ground while Tatiana danced through the air. For Tatiana's tenth birthday, she walked out of the house to find her own vanship parked in the front yard. It was nothing fancy, but it was hers. Captain Charles Worster was hired to teach the young pilot how to fly.

Within the month, she'd gotten enough training to be able to pilot on her own. However, the first trip out was a disaster. The plane crashed less than ten feet from where Alister had been standing. As Tatiana's parents ran to the crumpled vanship, Alister watched as Tatiana angrily flung the restraining straps off and stomped out of the cockpit.

"Are you okay Tatiana?" Alister's face was tight with concern.

Tatiana's blue eyes sparked in anger. "Why did it crash? I did NOTHING wrong!"

Captain Worster, standing beside Alister, chuckled. "Why do you think there are two seats on this plane? Vanship pilots are only as good as the navie."

"So you let me crash just to prove your point?" The youngster stomped up to the captain and hit him in the arm.

Charles caught her and held her still. "You wouldn't listen any other way." He let go and walked over to the ship. Kicking the side of it, he turned back. "We can have this fixed in a week."

"Fine." Tatiana pulled off her custom made goggles and stomped up to Alister. "You will be my navie." That was the beginning of her career.

Since Alister was Tatiana's personal servant, they received the same schooling. When Tatiana stated Alister would be her navie, Captain Charles Worster took her in and trained her too. Finally Captain Worster left them, having taught them all he knew, and learned much in return.

When Tatiana turned 16, a vanship pilot and two navies were lost in the Grand Stream and Dissith & Anatoray started a war with each other. Whenever they stopped to pick up more Claudia fuel, Tatiana would have Alister listen to the other pilots to learn what was happening in the battle. One day Tatiana walked into the house and informed her parents that she had decided to attend the Academy to become a fighter pilot.

Alister stood in silence as Mr. & Mrs. Wisla protested their daughter's choice. Suddenly Tatiana turned those cutting eyes to her navie. "Alista, I free you from servitude. I'm going to the Academy. If you want to follow, you do so under your own free will." Without another word, Tatiana turned and left.

The silence was pressing. Alister stared at the door her master and best friend had just walked through while the Wislas stared at Alister. Finally Mrs. Wisla spoke. "Alister, do you want to go with Tatiana, or do you want to leave and find your own path?"

Alister Agrew, age 17, stood in contemplative silence for several moments. Finally, she looked up at the woman who had treated her as a daughter. "All I've ever known is life with Tatiana. Flying is her dream, and it has become mine. I choose to be her navie."

ssssss

The waiter leaned over to pick up the money for the check. Suddenly she realized she'd blanked out and left Geise on his own for way too long.

"I'm so sorry Geise." She blushed prettily.

"Quite alright. But it looks like you went on a long trip."

She leaned forward and gently took his hand. "Yes, but it's been a good one. Thank you for sharing one more day with me."

Geise smiled. Their pasts did not matter. They had the future.

**A/N:** Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I hope everyone has a fun, and safe New Year's. Have lots of fun, and please make sure you have a DD if you're drinking. -TK


	9. Middlegame Begins

**Disclaimer:** Just like the 8 preceding chapters, I do not own any rights to Last Exile. I do own one legitimate copy of the series, which I have let a family member borrow and miss dreadfully. These characters are the property of Geneon, and Chiaki Koichi, Tamioka Katsuhiro, and Yamashita Tomohiro. Please enjoy the final installment of this fanfic.

**Chapter 9: Middlegame Begins**

The next day, Tatiana was in a foul mood. The previous night she had stopped by to talk with Alista about their upcoming mission. However, Alister was not in her room. An extensive search yielded no Alista. Losing all patience, Tatiana left the ship to wander the Casino.

Tatiana had little patience with the rabble, and she was angry with Alista for causing her to be around those people. When she walked around the corner of the restaurant and saw Alista eating with one of the maintenance crew, she stopped. She watched them talking as old friends, and could only see red. Turning, she walked back to the ship; deciding to take care of this problem in the morning.

When Alister walked into the hanger for their training sortie, she was met with the uncontrolled anger of her superior. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?"

"Mam, I'm suiting up to fly." She finished the last fastener and started to walk over to retrieve her helmet.

"I can see that Alista. I want to know why you're consorting with the common rabble."

Alista froze in her tracks. She could see Geise standing behind Tatiana, and knew there was no right answer. "Are you ready to go?"

"You haven't answered my question." Tatiana was visibly angry now.

Alister sighed. "I cannot say anything that would make you happy." She retrieved her helmet and walked over to the ship.

"You could say you were never going to go out with that man again." Tatiana's hair was shaking with her fury.

"I could. But I gave you a promise that I would tell you the truth." Alister turned towards the stairs. "And never is an awfully long time." She climbed the stairs, not looking at Tatiana's crushed face or at Geise's saddened one.

The flight was short, mostly to keep the ship tuned. Since Tatiana was so angry, she whipped the loops a little too sharply. As they came back into the hanger, Tatiana had already taken off her gear before the ship was secured. "I'll be in my quarters when you decide to become civil again."

Alister waited until the mechanics had secured the ship before she stepped out of the cockpit. Geise was conspicuously absent and Alister knew it was because of what happened. Saddened that yet another man had turned his back rather than take a chance at losing his job as a result of Tatiana's wrath, Alister hung her helmet up and left the hanger.

When she walked out on the observation deck, she noticed the blinds were still up from their training trip, and the wind was blowing slightly. Being out among the clouds, the wind was always a fierce adversary. She rarely got to experience the gentler side of this facet of nature. She leaned over the rail, holding her face up to the sky so the sun could beat down on her forehead while the wind blew across the tip of her nose and lips. She didn't know how long she had been standing there when the voice spoke.

"It's a treat to have the opportunity to enjoy nice weather while at dock." She turned and saw Ressius sitting on a bench behind her. "Excuse me for disturbing your thoughts. I just didn't want to startle you when you came out of them."

Alister smiled and moved to sit beside him. "I rarely get to see you, it's sometimes hard to remember that someone lives in the heart of our ship to keep it working."

Ressius had always thought Alister a very polite young woman. He also paid attention to gossip, although he didn't partake in it. "If you don't mind my nosiness…" At her look, he continued. "Last night I happened to be walking on deck when I saw you return with Mr. Geise."

"Um…"

His chuckle stopped her stuttering. "You don't have to be embarrassed. I'm way past my dating days, but I do remember them. Geise is a good man. Just be careful not to cause conflict between what he needs to do and what he wants to do."

"What do you mean?" Her brown eyes sharpened.

"As an old man, it's awfully hard to watch young women go out into battle. I was always taught that women were to be protected at all costs. Without you, our survival is doomed." He chuckled before pinning her with a very astute gaze. "It's even harder when a man's heart is tied to one of those fierce warrior women."

Alister's eyes dulled with sadness and Ressius could see her again turning inward. "So I should just let him go?"

Ressius picked up her hand and stared at the palm. He wasn't a palm reader, but he almost wished he had the skill. "How do you hold the wind?"

"You don't."

"Exactly." He let go and stood. "But you have to understand that when it blows cold, it's part of its nature." He bobbed his head in farewell and walked back inside.

Alister stayed to watch the sunset.

ssssss

Their fifth day at dock started uneventfully. Alex had decided first thing that under no circumstances was he going to be on the bridge with Sophia. However, by lunchtime, he was slouched in his commander's chair, trying to ignore the shapely thighs standing directly in front of his view. "Why am I up here again?"

"We have a surprise for you." Sophia didn't even turn to acknowledge her commander. She knew he was still mad at her for drinking with Walker, but if he'd stayed and had that first beer instead of foisting her off on Walker to escape his emotions, it never would have happened.

Alex felt like moping. He _hated_ surprises. "Well, I'm here."

Sophia waited until she heard him shift in his seat. _Squirm you little shit._ Suddenly she gently barked the order. "Campbell…begin the training exercise."

Campbell nodded his dark head once before barking orders to his staff to run the training exercise. To Alex's surprise, Campbell commanded his munitions officer to open the front torpedo bays and prepare for a firing equation.

At the phrase 'firing equation' Alex jerked out his seat. "Campbell, you'd only be asking for a firing equation if using the new armor piercing torpedoes. What the hell are you doing?"

Campbell, as straight faced as possible, looked at his Commander. "I'm calculating a firing equation so that we can figure out the best place to put two armor piercing rounds in that ship out there." He pointed at the closed hanger bay doors, emphasizing that this was a 'training exercise."

Alex turned to Sophia. "Walker's done ahead of schedule?"

"Yes. He came by last night. You weren't here, we both looked. Walker wanted me to pass on some information to you. He said he tried to tell you the other day, but you had other things on your mind." Sophia handed him a cream colored envelope and turned back to complete the training mission.

As he sat back down, he pushed a finger under the edge of the sealed flap and ripped the paper free from the glue. Once the flap was loose, he pulled out a sheet of paper and opened it to reveal masculine scrawl in blue ink.

'_Alex, I hope that this note finds you in good spirits. I'm disturbed by the amount of angst you are suffering under; but I know it's not my place to step in where angels have already fled._

_I know we agreed upon a week to complete the 'repairs' on your ship, but I had my team double-time it. There were two reasons for this. First, you've gotten the mistaken assumption in your head that I'm vying for the attentions of your very sexy XO. Although I do admit that she is a magnificent creation, I also know that she is one bird that should never have her wings clipped. As much as I consider myself a free man, I am still tied to the cage of Casino Royale. _

_Second, the Dissith fleet has already petitioned the Guild to mediate over a battle between Dissith and Anatoray. That in itself is not unusual; but we both know what year this is, and the Guild has not been performing predictably. I know your attitude on certain guild members, and I'm loath to bring this up; but this is THE YEAR for the celebration. The Bitch must take a mate or else abdicate her throne. Rumor has it she's picked a family member, but none of us know which one. _

_You need to leave immediately to be of any use to the Anatoray side. Dissith is usually honorable, but something about this battle doesn't feel right. The bill is already on its way to the Emperor, and you need to round your crew up and get the hell off my island._

_As always…Walker.'_

Alex folded the missive and put it in his pocket. "Sophia, recall all members of the Silverna. We're setting out at 17:00 hours."

Sophia hid a smile. Turning, she looked her boss straight in his steely eyes. "Everyone is on board and accounted for."

Alex's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he said nothing about her pre-emptive maneuvering. "Fine. I'll be in my cabin, continue."

Sophia picked up the land-line connection and told the tall gentleman on the other side to open the blinds.

After Walker hung the handset up, he stayed to watch them leave. As the Silverna moved out of its dock, Walker took the cigar out of his mouth and lit it. He had an uncanny premonition that the next time Alex came by his dock, the world would have changed.

**A/N:** I enjoyed writing this one. I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Take care, and there might be another one soon, depending on how friendly my muse is to me.


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